Replies

"They (the non-Calvinist crowd) really do think that what we teach is that we are a bunch of antinomian robots who never move an inch towards God, rather we are dragged kicking and screaming against our wills by a terrible tyrant who cares nothing for us."

I think it's fascinating to see these guys in action. Both Grammer and ftd post these quotes (well, ftd didn't actually quote Melanchthon -suprise suprise) of Melanchthon and they go hand in hand with everything we've ever professed.

One can find nearly identical statements from Calvin -but somehow those quotes don't count. Calvin truly did think he and Melanchthon were quite close in nearly all their doctrine. It was actually Melanchthon's protege Zacharias Ursinus who, according to most experts, wrote most of the Heidelberg Catechism which is one of the three confessions of the Dutch Reformed Churches.

For all this talk of Melanchthon being a synergist, I have yet to see ANY quotes by him that expouse anything which a calvinist wouldn't whole heartedly agree!

In other words, Melanchthon and Calvin had nearly identical doctrine (Melanchthon even accepted Calvin's doctrine of the Eucharist towards the end of his life -and that was, perhaps the biggest difference between Calvin and Luther!). Melanchthon can state that he isn't a stoic and that the doesn't espouse determinism and that's OK. Yet, when Calvin says nearly the same thing, it doesn't count! Amazing.

Jean

I note in your reply not a single fact cited by either an historian or by Melanchthon.

Here are some.

Schaff,

He intimated this synergistic view in the 18th article of the altered Augsburg Confession, and in the German edition of the Apology of the Confession....and in the colloquy of Worms, 1557, he declined to condemn the doctrine of the slavery of the human will, because Luther had adhered to it to the end. He was willing to tolarate it as a theologial opinion, although he himself had rejected it....Calvin, who had written a preface to the French translation of the Loci Theologciei, expressed, in private letters, his surprise that so great a theologian could reject the Scripture doctrine of eternal predestination (Vol.7,p.373)

Henry Sheldon writes

At the time of the first drought his views were in substantial accord with those of Luther. Later his thinking diverged in three main particulars. Rejecting strict Augustinianism with its predestination and monergism, he gave place to free will and taught a moderate synergism.... While the 'Loci Communes' of Melanchthon was the only work of systematic theology which could come into competition with his 'Institutes' and was, moreover, opposed to his position on the subject of predestination, he not only took pains to translate it into French, but also warmly commended it to his countrymen (Vol.3,p.113,148)

And Will Durant says,

Melanchthon, who had expressed predestinarian views in his Loci communes , was favorably impressed by Erasmus' arguement and omitted the doctrine in later editions...(The Story of Civilzation, vol.6,p.434)

Now, that is three historians who state that Melanchthon went synergistic. That along with the direct quote that states he added the will, along with the Holy Spirit and the word as part of the salvation process.

Now, besides your incredulous reaction, do you have any facts that state that Melanchthon did not reject predestination as taught by Luther and Calvin?

For all this talk of Melanchthon being a synergist, I have yet to see ANY quotes by him that expouse anything which a calvinist wouldn't whole heartedly agree

So, Calvin would accept that the will is as much part of the salvation process as the Holy Spirit and the Scripture?

Calvin had God changing the will with irresistable grace, not having that the will making a decision.